Pill enumerator and bottling machine



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Flttg- I Patented June 9,1891.

(No Model.)

F. L. UPJOHN. PILL ENUMERATOR AND BOTTLING MACHINE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED L. UPJOHN, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

PILL ENUMERATOR AND BOTTLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,873, dated June 9, 1891.

Application filed October 17, 1890. Serial No. 368,485. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED L. UPJOHN, a citi-' tor and Bottling Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the construction of a pill enumerator and bottling machine which is adapted to deposit a given number of pills in each bottle, thus obviating the necessity of counting by hand.

To this end the machine consists, in the main, of arevoluble disk bearing series of pockets in subdivisions of the desired number, said pockets being open at the bottom, but closed (except at the delivery-spout) by a base-plate upon which the revoluble disk rests.

The machine also consists of a tray for holding the pills and a spout leading therefrom to the disk containing the pockets.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a section on line 3 3 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a lettered detail in Fig. 2, and also showing a cross-section of a lettered detail in Fig. 1, hereinafter described.

Referring to the lettered parts of the drawings, A illustrates a bin for containing the pills, said bin of course being supported by a suitable frame-work in an elevated position. Supported by said frame-work is a bed-plate B, having a circular depression in which is placed the revoluble disk 0. This disk 0 has a central pendent portion or axis F, passing down through a hole in the bed-plate B, as shown in Fig. 2. This pendent portion is internally cored to receive a crank 2', by means of which crank the disk 0 is revolved. The crank i is detachably attached to said disk 0, as shown in Fig. 2, in order that the same crank may be used with different disks containing different-sized pockets. The pockets consist of/a series of perforations in different clusters or subdivisions, as shown at s in Figs. 1 and 2.

The bed-plate B is provided with a spout E at one side, as in Figs. 1 and 2, said spout extending beneath the bed-plate, said bedplate being provided with an opening or slot 75, leading down into said spout. By this means the bed-plate B crosses the bottom of all the pockets, except those brought directly over the slot tin said bed-plate, as will clearly appear in Fig. 1.

The tray A is provided with a spout D, leading from said tray to the disk O,containin g the pockets, so as to deliver the pills upon that portion of the disk around and nearer to its periphery which contains the perforations or pockets. Transversely across the disk 0 and bed-plate B is fixed a dam o, below the spout D, said dam just clearing the revoluble disk 0, the purpose of said dam of course being to prevent the pills which are deposited upon the disk 0 from running off.

In Figs. 2 and 3 is shown a clamp device a, by means of which the bed-plate B is attached to a rod (2, which rod supports the same; but so far as this particular means of supporting the bed-plate is concerned it might be of course supported in other ways; but by sup porting it in this manner differentbed-plates containing revoluble disks with different sized pockets may be employed by detaching one and attaching the other, according to the size of the pills which are to be counted and bottled.

It should be understood that the different subdivisions of the series of pockets consist of a given number of said pockets, and consequently since in the operation each subdivision of pockets is filled with pills before they are presented over the slot t it necessarily follows that a bottle held under the spout E will receive the designed number of pills from one of the subdivisions of the series of pockets. To make the operation still clearer, referring to Fig. 1, the pills are supposed to be flowing down through spout D and loading up against the dam '0, and consequently will spread over that portion of the disk which contains the pockets, and since the pills will thus spread over all that portion of the disk which contains the pockets at that given pointduring the revolution of saiddisk all of the pockets will become filled, and said filled pockets will be carried over the slot t, and the pills will consequently fall from the pockets into the spout E, and thence flow into the bottle, which would be held under the spout lVhen one subdivision of pockets has passed, the operator of course stops turning the disk long enough to place another bottle under the spout E and then continues the operation.

It will of course be understood that while this machine is illustrated as being operated by hand it may be operated by power.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the spout is vertically adjustable by means of the brace-rod c,which supports the spout, said rod having a screw-threaded end which is passed loosely through a hole of a plate attached to said spout, said threaded end being provided with an adjustable nut f. The object of thus raising and lowering the spout is to admit of a greater or less number of pills flooding the perforated surface of the disk 0 above the dam '0.

It should be observed that while this machine is described as a pill enumerator and bottler it of course maybe employed for enumerating any product for which itis adapted. It does not necessarily follow that bottles need be used to receive the deposit from the spout E, as the article being enumerated may be deposited in any suitable receptacle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A pill enumerator and bottling machine consisting of a tray, the spout leading therefrom, an inclined bed-plate having a slot provided with a spout leading therefrom, a revoluble disk having a series of perforations in subdivisions constituting pockets, said disk being mounted upon said bed-plate in a revoluble manner, adam fixed transversely across said disk, and a spout leading from said tray to said disk above the dam, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an inclined revoluble tray having a spout, a supporting-frame for said tray, an inclined base-plate provided with the slot and with the spout leading therefrom,

said base-plate having a central hole, and a revolnble disk having the series of perforations, said disk having a central pendent axis in the center hole of said base-plate, said baseplate being detachably supported by said supporting-frame, substantially as set forth.

The combination of an inclined revoluble tray, a verticallyadjustable spout leading therefrom, a supporting-frame in said tray, a base-plate provided with the slot, a revoluble disk having the series of perforations constitutin g pockets, and a dam transversely across said disk, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name in presence of two witnesses.

FRED L. U PJ OIIN.

Witnesses:

W. L. BRO\VNELL, EMIL l-lnnzunm. 

